Building a location robot with Arduino

Introduction

Arduino is an open source electronics prototyping platform that is flexible and easy to use. It's perfect for beginners who want to delve into the world of robotics and automation. In this tutorial, we are going to build a location robot with Arduino, which is a great way to learn about sensors, motors and programming.

Materials Needed

• Arduino Uno Board
• HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor Module
• DC motors
• L293D Engine Driver
• 9V battery
• Mounting plate
• Wheels for robot
• Jumpers

Building the Robot Chassis

To start, you need to build the physical structure of the robot. You can use a breadboard to attach the motors and Arduino. Motors must be mounted so that the wheels are in contact with the ground. The Arduino can be mounted in the center of the board.

Connecting the Motors and Motor Driver

DC motors are connected to the L293D motor driver. This chip is responsible for controlling the direction and speed of the motors. It has four channels, so you can control up to four motors. In this case, as we are building a two-wheeled robot, we will only use two channels.

Connecting the Ultrasonic Sensor

The HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor is used to detect obstacles. It emits an ultrasonic signal and measures the time it takes for the signal to return after hitting an object. This allows us to calculate the distance to the object. The sensor is connected to the Arduino through four pins: VCC, GND, Trig and Echo.

Programming the Arduino

With the hardware ready, we can now program the Arduino. The objective is to make the robot move forward until it detects an obstacle at a certain distance. When an obstacle is detected, the robot must stop, turn and continue moving forward.

First, we need to define the pins that will be used to control the motors and the ultrasonic sensor. Next, we need to create a function to calculate the obstacle distance using the ultrasonic sensor. Finally, we need to create a main loop that controls the robot's movement based on the distance to the obstacle.

Testing the Robot

After uploading the code to the Arduino, it's time to test the robot. Make sure the battery is connected and turn on the Arduino. The robot should start moving forward. When it detects an obstacle, it must stop, turn and continue moving forward.

Conclusion

Building a location robot with Arduino is a great way to learn about robotics and automation. This project can be the basis for many more complex projects. With Arduino, the possibilities are endless.

Next page of the Free Ebook:

39Introduction to underwater robotics with Arduino

4 minutes